The Bride To Be
by DipziShan
Summary: Duncan and Gwendolyn are to be wed, yet, not wanting to be bound to her, Duncan strays into the woods and finds himself wed to his beloved Courtney. The only problem? Courtney died the previous day!
1. Introduction

**First off, this is NOT a DuncanxGwen story! They are simply betrothed, like many were in the Victorian era.**

**I know I'm probably going to get a few angry PM's or reviews from people who are in my story Total Drama Bachelor, but, to be honest, I can't think of the next challenge. Once I do, I'll update.**

**Moving on to this story: My favorite movie is Corpse Bride, and as I sat listening to the soundtrack today, I decided once and for all that I was going to do a TDI version of the movie. It's not exactly like Corpse Bride, but it loosely follows the same plot (ie: A guy marries a corpse on accident). **

**If you pay attention, you notice that I steal a few names from the movie!**

**Without further ado, here it is.**

* * *

Duncan Galswells was the nouveau riche of Balswood*. Restless, rebellious, and undeserving of his money, he was knows as quite a charmer and known to flit from woman to women.

Until his parents decided he must wed.

His bride-to-be's name was Gwendolyn Kipling (an unusual name, for sure), her parents the Lord and Lady Kipling; Pure land-rich aristocracy.

Duncan's own parents were merchants with a rich fortune and nothing to do with it.

Duncan himself was a tall young man with neatly trimmed black hair, and blue eyes that women found themselves entranced by.

* * *

Gwendolyn was not one to be entranced by his charms.

Gwendolyn awoke on the morning of the wedding rehearsal and allowed her maid, Leshawna, to lace her corset. "Gwendolyn, why so pale, honey?"

Leshawna's outlandish speech made Gwendolyn smile despite herself. "Oh, Leshawna, what shall I do? Duncan and I do _not _like each other, and we never shall."

"Well, perhaps you two shall at least grow to be friends."

"I suppose that would be nice..." Gwendolyn took a sharp breath as Leshawna tightened the corset over her waist.

"Okay, honey, now for the crinoline." Leshawna held up a large cage-like skirt made of wood and helped Gwen into it.

"I wonder if he shall settle once we wed and stop running off with a different girl every night."

"Oh, Gwen, I think he'll settle, but not with you."

"Then who, who could tame the wild beast that is Duncan?"

"Miss Courtney, who else? He's had his eye on her for a while. I'd fancy he was in love."

"Surely not!" Gwendolyn playfully exclaimed, enjoying the gossip.

"It's true!"

"What, may I ask, is true?" Came a stern voice. Standing at Gwendolyn's bedroom door was Lady Kipling, waist almost invisible her corset was so tight.

"Nothing, mother."

"It better have been nothing," She turned to Leshawna. "If that tongue of yours waggles any faster, I think it would fall off. Keep your gossip to yourself."

She turned and ended her intrusion with a crisp order for Gwendolyn's corset to be laced tighter.

* * *

*Balswood is the town/village/city this story takes place in.


	2. Chapter One

**Wow, I actually got a few positive reviews! Thanks to ****Amethyst****Ocean****, ****Hgirl1884****, and ****XxXAlways-a-DreamerXxX**** for awesome reviews!**

* * *

"Oh, Duncan, sit up straight! You need to look your very best for Gwendolyn." Henrietta Galswells nagged her son, as he and his father rode with her to meet the Kiplings on the day of the wedding rehearsal.

"I don't see why, she _has _to marry me, and I her." Duncan argued, looking out the window rather than at his mother.

"Then look handsome for Lord and Lady Kipling, they are the ones you _really_ need to impress." She pursed her lips.

"She has a point, Duncan." Silas Galswells added, giving his son a little jab in the side with his elbow.

"Why can I not marrie who I wish? Why must I be wed to Gwendolyn when it is so obvious we both hate each other."

"Hate is a strong word, Duncan. And who ever said marriage was about liking each other?" Henrietta continued.

"Ettie, let the boy speak for a moment." Silas abrutply said.

"Thank you, Father, but I have nothing more to say."

"Is this about young Miss Evans, eh?" Silas grinned, thinking of all the times his son and Miss Courtney had snuck away into the woods to talk down by the creek, occasionally coming back sopping wet.

"Yes, yes it is. Why can I not marrie her?

"Because you're going to marry Gwendolyn. Her family and I've already settled the dowry." Herrietta finished.

Duncan said no more, but waved slightly out the window at Courtney.

* * *

Courtney Evans waved at her lover as he passed in a carriage heading for the Kipling home. She managed to smile only by thinking of his promise; the promise he'd made last night as they lay down in 'their' clearing in the woods and watched the stars.

_The night was cold, but under the stars with Duncan, I felt not the slightest chill. He had me in his arms as he whispered sweet nothings in my ear. I'd heard he did the same to every woman he'd come across, but I believed it not. I believed that it was different when he spoke to me. Perhaps it was the way his eyes sparkled when we joked, the way his eyes remained on my face and did not stray to my chest (as they were said to do with other women), the way he so tenderly kissed me..._

_It was improper, that much was true, but our love was strong still._

_Which is why I was heartbroken to learn of the betrothal._

_"Princess," He used his special nickname for me, buttering me up. "I shall never marry Gwendolyn Kipling, for I do not love her. And, while I was pondering the many ways I could escape this wedding, I happened upon a most glorious epiphany! We, you and I, shall run away together. We shall elope!"_

_"Why, Mr. Gladswells, are you proposing to me?" Pleasure built up inside me, and I smiled coyly._

_"Indeed I am." Then another one of his butterfly kisses..._

Indeed, it was a wonderful plan, and Courtney felt for sure it would work.

She wandered into the woods, to where they had been just last night, and she could almost smell his delightful scent; Fresh perspiration with a slight hint of apples. She bent down and picked a small red flower from the base of a tree only six paces away.

* * *

"Lord and Lady Kipling, Mr. and Mrs. Galdswells." Announced the butler as he stepped aside to allow the family of three to enter.

Lady Zylphia Kipling and Lord Bartholomew Kipling descended the great staircase to meet this family, disgust filling every feature of their face.

"It is such a pleasure to meet you, Lady Kipling." Henrietta said, curtsying before them.

"Indeed it is, Madam." Silas added, giving a slight bow, but feeling quite foolish.

"And you as well, Lord Kilpling."

"Yes."

"Enough formalities, we will be taking tea in the East drawing room, then the rehearsal will be at five 'o clock."

The Galdswells and Kiplings shuffled across the large entrance hall, all except Duncan.

He was slowly slipping back out the door.

"Stop right there!" A voice commanded. Duncan looked to see his bride practically running at him. "Just because out hate for each other is mutual does not mean you can walk out on me like you have every other woman you've ever been with."

"I haven't walked out on the one I'm going to see!"

"Is it Miss Courtney?"

He was taken aback. "How did you know? We've always met in secret."

"My maid, Leshawna, evidently saw the two of you."

"Well, I hope it does not happen again, for I do not wish to be caught in such a scandelous act as I am about to preform."

Gwendolyn's eyes grew wide. "You cad! You vulgar cad!" She was prepared to slap him, but her grabbed her wrist and held it.

"I did not mean _that_! Not for a while, anyhow." He paused. "You see, the two of us are so deeply in love..." He abruptly turned and looked deep in Gwendolyn's eyes. "Can I trust you?"

"Indeed, sir."

He looked this way and that, then finally whispered. "Miss Courtney and I are going to elope, leaving you free to marry anyone you wish."

"That is all well and fine for you, but what am _I_ to do then? If you leave, I'll have no one to wed, and my family and I will be out in the streets."

"You can marrie Trenton Clemm, or Geoffery Foote. They would make fine husbands!" He paused, then added. "Well, perhaps not Geoffery, but Trenton, yes."

"Trenton Clemm? I've never heard of Trenton Clemm."

"Come with me tonight and you shall. Sneak out your window and run into the woods."

At that moment, Lady Kipling arrived in the doorway. "Where is your chaperon! The two of you should not be _alone_ together!

"Sorry, but I had to get my little hat, and then _you_wanted your dang tea, so I had to go get that. I didn't exactly have time to watch Gwennie here." Leshawna rushed into the room, a tiny white hat fixed into her hair.

"I beg your pardon?!"

"I mean, sorry, Lady Kipling." Leshawna corrected herself, eyes filled with sarcasm.

Lady Kipling looked from Leshawna, to Gwendolyn, to Duncan (who was no longer strangling Gwen's wrist).

"Just be sure it doesn't happen again, Leshawna." The woman walked away.

Duncan snuck past the ladies as they watched Lady Kipling leave. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I've said all I must say. Good Day, ladies." He retreated to the East drawing room.

Leshawna fanned herself. "Dang, girl, I thought I was gonna get fired. What is with you, you wanna get ridda me?"

"No, I just had to talk with my groom." Gwendolyn gazed at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Well, he might _not _be my groom."

Leshawna and Gwendolyn talked in hushed tones about the exciting scandal Duncan and Courtney were about to preform for a few moments, then hurried over to the drawing room just in time to leave for the wedding rehearsal.


	3. Chapter 3

I am sorry, but I will no longer be writing fan fictions.

I recently went through a few tough things in my life, and those forced me to look at my writing. Needless to say, I wasn't impressed. I feel that I must return to my novel I was trying to write rather than living my life through a false image of this supposedly wonderful fan fiction writer. The truth is: I'm just a 13 year-old nerd who has no real friends because she prefers her Internet ones. That has to stop, and I'm stopping it today.

If anyone would like to take over this story, please send me a message within this week and we will discuss it. I will be keeping this accout so I will be able to review on my friends' stories, so please don't ask for my password.

You will receive notes for the story(s) you want to take over, and I'll also be sending you some ideas for the story. I'll be giving my stories out to people who I know will update them, so please dont' ask for them if you already have 90 stories, because it's highly unlikely you will ever NEED another story.

Hopefully that made sense to someone because it's the last thing I'll ever be posting on .

Farewell!

~ Shannon

PS: Whoever wants the Total Drama Bachelor series will also inherit the web site.

PS2: I will be keeping my DeviantART account, and will continue posting deviations.


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